ORIGINAL: setcreative
...give us a click at 120bpm for sixteen bars, let us get comfortable, then drop it out of the cans for four bars. If we came out the end of that still in time with the click he'd bump that up to eight bars. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two...

I love this exercise! A definite stabilizer.



BTW, some reality...

In a non-click environment, the time is simply there for a song. Grooves are tempo based, and grooves affect the song . Everyone has to do their part to keep the song alive and in the groove that fits the song. It is a constant and dynamic interaction between the musicians that not only set the tempo but keep the groove alive. Anything else is simply ego! The best time-keeping musician keeps the tempo solid for everyone else (or the song-writer if the song isn't rehearsed). Everyone looks to him/her for that. (in a perfect world all have equally perfect timing)

In a click environment, again, the time is simply there for a song. Everyone has to do their part to keep the song alive and in the groove that fits the song. It is a constant and dynamic interaction between the musicians that has to work with the tempo set by the click track. It is all members responsibility to keep the groove alive within that time. (if the groove doesn't fit the song then maybe the wrong temo was set)

In both cases, all are responsible for keeping the time and the groove. Depending on the style of music or the group of people, there may be more leeway for one instrument or the other, but THE SONG is really what is important. If everyone doesn't do their part, there is no groove and therefore no song.

It is a GROUP EFFORT! But, no matter what, being able to play in time with each other and a click is a requirement to be an EFFECTIVE musician of any instrument.


Now, do we bother tuning our instruments too?

deal cAPS :)


m

Ah... a truce. Nice.

My 2 cents... the click is your friend. Spend time with it. Playing with a click should be second nature.

And yes... good drummers do...

Yeah I use loops too, or just record a synthetic drumkit, play in the bits , remove the drums at one point, and do them in by hand if I want.

If I was to record live drums, I'd want a drummer who's good enough to be used as a clicktrack, and not 'correct' or quantize any beats later, because you then also screw with the recorded ambience, which is why a lot of people complain about 'phasey' noises I think.

Drummers count as they play, the counting is the sync with the clicktrack..


If you are having trouble playing drums to a click do one of the following.

1) Get bassist to record to click and drummer to record to bassist.

2) Learn to count whilst playing.

ORIGINAL: Sid Viscous

Here's an example of how screwed up drummers are:
I write the vocals
I write the guitars
I write the bass
but if I even dare to make a suggestion about a drum part, the drummer freaks

Ha ha ha, this is absolutely true for me as well. And my drummer detests the thought of a metronome, but I make her do it anyway...ha ha ha. But the compromise ends there. I am not allowed to make a suggestion on how a drum part might go to the song I wrote!

I am not allowed to make a suggestion on how a drum part might go to the song I wrote!

Wow! Talking about composer's end of rights .

IMHO it's best used as a tool... not a member of the band.

You are SO RIGHT on that. The last band I was in we also used a sampler/beat machine (Roland SPD-6) for a rap beat in the background. I got so pissed at the drummer that I kicked his symbol over~. I guess no on is perfect but it would only be a matter of time before the timing of the drummer got off.

Samplers / click-tracks - They Don't Screw Up and can be turned off/on

Drummers Do

I think there's an article I read awhile ago about tempo fluctuation and all that basically saying that every song has up's and down's

I can play to a click track with no problems. I can play in front of the beat, behind the beat, around the beat or right on the beat and still keep a natural feel and groove to the song. It just takes a little getting used to. And I'm also very open to suggestions from band mates, as a matter of fact, have you ever tried to suggest something to a guitar player without hurting his feelings? [sm=rolleyes.gif]
Whats even worse is when you get two of them in the same room, break out the Midol.

Mike

my drummer uses a click.

Really helps keep everything sounding tight.

Kind regards

Dave Rich